A timeline of South Coast commuter rail's long journey

Monday

On July 11, 1995, Gov. William Weld promises a South Coast commuter rail link to Boston by 1997. That’s not a train in the background; it’s a cardboard cutout.

On July 11, 1995, Gov. William Weld promises a commuter rail link to Boston by 1997. That’s not a train in the background; it’s a cardboard cutout.

March 1991
Gov. William Weld requests that the state Legislature authorize the sale of Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority bonds to pay for preliminary engineering and environmental studies to extend commuter rail from Stoughton to southeastern Massachusetts.

February 1992
Weld proclaims “Sue me if it doesn’t happen,” regarding the construction of the rail extension.

June 1995
Anne Galbraith, an MBTA project manager, tells people at a Fall River public hearing that commuters could be boarding trains for Boston by the end of 1997 under a best-case scenario.

July 1995
Weld promises a commuter rail link between Fall River/New Bedford and Boston by the fall of 1997 during a New Bedford press conference.

September 1995
State officials hold a public hearing to announce a commuter rail station will be placed at the corner of Davol and Pearce streets.

August 1996
Weld signs a transportation bond bill that includes $136 million to extend commuter rail.

March 1997
Then-state Rep. Robert Correia tells The Herald News during an interview, “I honestly see it happening. It’s just a question of time.” He added that the project would likely be running by the spring of 1999.

April 1997
The MBTA releases a study saying the cost to extend commuter rail to the SouthCoast will be closer to $430 million after initial estimates pegged the project at $136 million.

September 1997
The Old Colony Commuter Rail Line opens, linking Middleboro and Boston.

January 1998
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation and Construction issues a report saying the most feasible route for rail service to Fall River is via Stoughton.

March 1998
The Executive Office of Transportation and Construction authorizes $20 million for the commuter rail design phase.

April 1998
The House Transportation Committee approves a bill instructing the MBTA to begin construction on a commuter rail extension.

October 1998
A groundbreaking ceremony is held at the Turner Street Bridge for the proposed commuter rail system.

November 1999
State Secretary of Environmental Affairs Robert Durand says the extension from Stoughton would result in the taking of at least six rare species and affect one of the largest and most significant freshwater wetlands in the commonwealth.

December 1999
Gov. Paul Cellucci restates his commitment to extending commuter rail during a meeting with a delegation of Fall River and New Bedford officials.

January 2000
State officials release a new timeline indicating construction on the rail line will begin by fall 2002 and be completed by 2004.

December 2000
MBTA officials promise to accelerate the construction schedule during a meeting with Fall River officials.

April 2001
Acting Gov. Jane Swift says her administration will support the commuter rail extension.

June 2001
MBTA authorizes $8 million to complete early design phase.

July 2002
MBTA pushes project start date back to 2007 because it has no money to fund the construction. Revised estimates predict the project’s cost at more than $600 million.

August 2002
State issues certificate approving Final Environmental Impact Report.

May 2003
The MBTA asks the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to halt the environmental permitting process while Gov. Mitt Romney analyzes the cost of the rail extension.

March 2004
The MBTA does not include funding for a SouthCoast extension in its 2004-2009 capital investment plan.

June 2004
Fall River officials meet with Romney but the governor refuses to commit to the commuter rail extension.

June 2004
Romney agrees to support rail extension in return for the Fall River delegation’s support of the Sagamore rotary expansion project.

August 2004
Transportation Secretary Daniel Grabauskas announces Romney has authorized more than $430 million for the rail project, though $425 million will be released only if matched by the federal government.

March 2005
Romney releases a long-term transportation plan that includes $670 million for the rail extension and projects the process to complete the extension will take six to eight years.

April 2005
Romney declares the rail extension is “going to get done,” but cautions much still needs to be done.

June 2005
Douglas Foy, chief of commonwealth development, testifies before the joint committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets that the project’s price tag could be as high as $1 billion.

April 2007
Gov. Deval Patrick releases “South Coast Rail: A Plan for Action,” detailing the steps that will be taken to bring commuter rail to the region. Placing a $1.4 billion price tag on the project, Patrick says the trains will be rolling by December 2016.

May 2007
Kristina Egan is named project manager and a smart growth plan is announced for along the rail corridor.

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